


After Darkness Comes Light

by RebelJediPrincess



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Dark Rey (Star Wars), Dark Side Rey, Doing it dark side style, Empress Rey, Even though he couldn't save himself, F/M, Good thing Ben is good at saving things, He is wearing his good boi sweater all the time now, Kinda like doggie style but dark, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey needs saving, just kidding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:42:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelJediPrincess/pseuds/RebelJediPrincess
Summary: Empress Rey Palpatine is searching the Galaxy desperately for the one thing that may turn the tides of war and bring her back to the Light - her Dyad - Ben Solo.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23
Collections: A Picture is worth 1000 Words - PL Summer Exchange





	1. I don't feel right when you're gone away...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marriedreylo (aelins)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelins/gifts).



_ “Empress Palpatine!”  _

The old voice inside her mind was that of her Grandfather, Sheev Palpatine. Rey hadn’t hesitated, and had struck him down as he had asked of her. She had known the very reason he wanted her to do it in the first place - he wanted to inhabit her body so that he could still rule the Galaxy through her. Her intentions in striking him down were to save the Resistance. Looking back on it now, it was funny how things changed so quickly with one choice. 

Rey was sitting on the throne of the Sith. She was dressed in black and red, with everything trimmed in gold. It was something that her Grandfather had set aside for her - she assumed. It fit just right. But only one thing was missing. Her dyad. Ben Solo. Or - as he would be called here and now - Kylo Ren. She would call him anything he wanted, just to have him by her side. 

Her gaze was cast down from her throne as she thought about Ben’s whereabouts. Having sent out her Knights of Ren to find him, she waited for their news with great trepidation. Her eyes burned with anger. Why hadn’t he stayed with her? She had offered him everything! She wasn’t as patient as she was before. “Maybe I should have gone out myself..” 

_ “Patience... I know what a Skywalker thinks… He cares for you.. That will be his undoing!” _

Rey knew how Ben felt. That wasn’t her thoughts or concern. “My impatience - Grandfather…” she started. “Is focused on whether or not the Knights of Ren will succeed with getting information about his whereabouts.” Rey’s tone was dark. “Like I am wasting my time here.. When I should be out there.” 

In the darkest and deepest part of her mind - heavily guarded from that of her grandfather - Rey thought to herself,  _ “With Ben at my side.”  _ She recalled the moment that she asked him to join her. The hurt she felt the moment he rejected her. Deep down inside, Rey knew that he wanted to take her hand. She felt that through their bond. But right now - it seemed that she couldn’t even connect to him through their bond. He was blocking her. 

Rey stood up and walked a short distance from the throne. Following the steps down before coming to a complete stop and closing her eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, she let herself reach out through the force in hope of feeling Ben. She struggled. Her frustration could easily be seen in the way her face would scrunch up and twist. It was much like the frustration that made her discover that she could use force lightning - after she had lost control of her powers. She had thought she killed Chewie after that. It had haunted her, until they found him aboard a First Order Star Destroyer and rescued him.

It was a different life now. She was the Empress. A Sith. And someone who was feeling lost without her dyad. She was frustrated. Upset. And in her attempts to reach out with the force to find Ben - just a feel of him somewhere, just so she knew he was out there and okay - she was losing control of her emotions. She could feel anger roiling inside her, and she could hear things buckle under the pressure. Durasteel and transparisteel could be heard shattering and crumbling in the temple as she tried to keep her distress and anger tempered down.. 

_ “Good. Good. Feel the hate. It gives you strength and focus.” _

Rey felt it building in her chest. Until the inner scream became a very physical scream. Like when she lost control. She demolished the containers that held cloned failures, which all looked like Snoke. Her breaths after were fast and heavy, like she was running. She opened up her eyes to see the damage she caused. The old Rey would have felt bad about the damages, and what caused them. Not now.

Now she was satisfied.

_ “See my dear Granddaughter - The power you have!” _

Rey felt like Ben had abandoned her. After all, he had wanted her to join him when he was on the dark side. It was what he wanted for the both of them. To rule the Galaxy together. And somehow, she was all alone. Again. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

On Coruscant, Ben Solo had been hiding. He ran. Or at least that is what he felt deep down inside. He could have followed the rebel fleet to a hideout. He knew his mother and father would have wanted him to go there. But after what happened on Exegol, Ben felt like he had no place with the Resistance - not that there was much of one anymore.

He had found a good place to hide on Coruscant. CoCo Town. Until he worked through things in his own head. He had a lot of guilt he had to deal with - years of it, along with regret. He felt the blame for leaving the one person he loved most in this Galaxy. He had lost a lot. His father. His mother. And now his dyad in the force. His soulmate. Ben had to shut her out through the force, and nothing hurt more than that. He could list all the most painful things he had gone through in his life, and he’d gladly live through each one of those all at the same time if it meant still having her there through their bond. Shutting Rey out was the hardest thing he had ever done by far, and It hurt the most.

When he wasn’t working at Dex’s Diner, he was trying to think of ways he could save Rey. Everything played out in his mind. What could he have done differently? His mind kept going back to that moment when he was at the Death Star ruins. In his head, they both would have left together. They both would have gone to Exegol together. Ben was convinced that they would have taken out the Emperor together, as well. 

He was tired - but not physically. He was sitting on a chair in his current home, that was, until he had to move on. There was no staying in one place for too long. Although he was certain enough that he had more time here. If anyone was looking for him - they’d never think about coming to Coruscant. Not that he couldn’t see someone finding him. This wasn’t the kind of place he had been known to go to in his old life.

Ben closed his eyes. He had felt a sudden shake within the force. Even though he had shut her out. Even though he had closed himself off just enough to keep her from finding him. He felt something.  _ “What am I going to do?”  _

Ben asked himself silently. He had no clue how he could save her. “I lost everything! I lost her…” He wasn’t ready to open himself to the force completely again. He wasn’t sure he could risk what could happen if he did. The risk of Rey finding him before he had a plan in how to save her was too great. How he wished that he could talk to his mother. As he thought about his mother and the past, he wondered what she would say to him this very moment. When they did talk, she had always had this way with words. His mother had always been fierce. Ben struggled with himself - oh, how he wanted to open up to the force right now. If he could talk to anyone - it would be Leia. Ben wasn’t afraid to admit that for the first time in a long time, he needed her guidance. He had no clue what he was going to do - even if he knew on some level what his mother would say about that. 

She’d tell him to stand up. Join the rebel fleet. And trust in the force. Ben knew his mother would be right. She was always right. And, for a brief moment, he smiled. 

“This fight is not over!” He muttered in a soft breath. He knew some might not see that as a good thing. But it was. It offered him a chance that he could save Rey. To turn her back to the light. He had felt the conflict within her on Exegol. She could have very well taken out the entire fleet - but she let them all go. She had claimed that it was an act of kindness to show she is merciful, and that gave him a little hope to hold on to. There was still good in her. It was just getting through to her and saving her that was the problem.

But Ben Solo was the son of both Han Solo and Leia Organa, and if there was one thing he was - it was a problem solver.


	2. In Darkness There Is Understanding

Ben had no intention of sleeping, he had not been able to sleep well enough to worry about it. His thoughts about Rey, and how he could save her were flooding his mind. He had to figure this out. But he hadn’t averaged in how busy he had kept himself with work. He eventually fell asleep, Sleeping deeper than he had since he had been in hiding.

The deeper in sleep he went, the less he had been able to shield himself from Rey. Ben discovered that the moment he saw her figure a distance away.

“You’re hiding from me..”

Ben frowned. “It is not like you gave me any other options..”

Rey watched him. There was a look in her eyes he recognized. “I gave you an option. I offered you my hand - like you did to me.”

Ben could never forget that he did that. He had offered her his hand. Ben would never regret that part of it. But he wished he had done it differently. He wished that he had wised up sooner than he had. “I will offer my hand to you again. Always! But I wish I had done it right. I should have never asked you to dim that light within to join me on the dark side.”

“Stop!” Rey said. Her voice was filled with anger. Anger and agitation. “We both know that was never my destiny.”

“Destiny is what you choose in spite of everything. It is a choice! You are not tied to blood. What was chosen by others in your family does not mean it is the same for you.” Ben couldn’t help it. It came out. His deep voice was filled with love. It was filled with everything he felt for her. “I was wrong when I believed that.”

Rey wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of showing she wanted to believe him. “You expect me to believe what you say now..”

“I don’t lie to you!” Ben said almost immediately. He knew she already knew that. But, he wanted to make sure that she heard it again. “Even when I was on the dark side. I could not lie!” He could feel the conflict within her as he spoke. “I could lie to myself. I  _ did _ lie to myself, many times. But not to you!”

Rey thought back to every time he had told her that. She knew he didn’t lie to her. Even when he was Kylo Ren. This irritated her. She was frustrated with him. He wasn’t giving her anything she could use to hold on to the anger she was feeling. “You still abandon me! Like everyone else.. My parents. You.” 

“Rey.. You know that isn’t true! I have never abandoned you. You chose to trust the one person who you shouldn’t. Palpatine is using you!” He paused for a moment, as he could see Rey was getting even more angry. Being angry was something she wanted. “Your parents left you on Jakku. They died to give you a chance to live a life that wasn’t chosen for you. They gave you a chance to decide who you are.” His guilt almost crushed him as he thought about how he had tried to turn her as the words flowed from his mouth.

“NO!” She was fighting the conflict within. The conflict between the light and dark. And as they verbally sparred back and forth - they had closed the gap between them enough that she could move to strike him. 

He woke with a jerk, his arm in the air, just in time to stop her from hitting him. His grip on one wrist was like steel as he caught the other before she could make contact with him. “I don’t want to hurt you!” 

“You don’t? You already have.” She struggled to break free from his grip, trying to use any advantage to gain an upper hand in this situation. 

Ben was in a bad situation, along with a bad position. His heart sank the moment she said he already had hurt her. He was looking into her eyes, and there was a moment that his heart sank, because her eyes had a look of sadness. He knew she felt him through their bond. 

Bringing a leg up, he positioned himself to only push her a short distance away - just so he could get to his feet. “If I hurt you -” Ben got out just before she came at him. “Stop Rey.. Listen to what you are feeling inside. We don’t have to do this.”

With each attack, Ben had done his best to block her blows. He didn’t want to hurt her. He just wanted to stop her so she didn’t hurt or kill him. He seized the chance and opportunity as soon as he saw it. He brought her to the ground, pinning her there. They were both breathing heavily as they struggled against each other. “Stop! Just stop!” 

“Get off me!” Rey breathlessly commanded.

Ben would gladly do as she said,. but he knew the moment he let her go - she would be attacking him again. “I would love to! But you are not giving me much choice.” He rumbled, pausing for a moment as he looked in her eyes.. She tried to avoid the eye contact, but now she was faced with it. 

“Stop fighting me, please.. Listen to what I have to say.”

Rey struggled against him once more. “There is nothing that you have to say that I want to hear….”

“I love you!” It came out so naturally. He had been wanting to say it for a long time, since the moment he realized he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Before that moment - she was already in his heart, he thought. “You are my heart, Rey.. You are the one that saved me.. My mother may have connected to me through the Force - but she did that to clear my mind. To help me think about things with a clearer head instead of the lies. But it was your light that saved me.”

The look in her eyes didn’t change. But now they were filled with something he had already known. He knew Rey loved him. He could feel her through their bond that was thrumming almost happily. There were a lot of intense emotions flowing between them- even more so the moment her lips met his lips in a passionate kiss. 

Ben kissed her back, hesitantly at first. He was shocked that she kissed him. Rey had gone from completely attacking him to kissing him, not that he minded the change. But he didn’t see it happening - despite the fact that they were both kissing the other - Ben still didn’t let her go. She was clever. She knew how he felt about her, and could use it to her advantage 

Their kiss deepened mutually. Ben no longer held her down. He didn’t feel a need to anymore - or at least what he felt within their bond didn’t make him feel it was necessary. The moment he felt her hands on him, it made him feel weak. The moment he felt her hands move under his clothes, his heart started beating at an alarming rate. Her hands against his skin made him feel vulnerable. But he loved the way she made him feel. Long before this moment, Ben knew he was always vulnerable to her. Rey was his weakness.

Rey could feel Ben’s muscles underneath his skin. She wanted him so bad. With him she felt at peace. She felt love. She loves the way he tasted as they kiss. The world around them seemed to fade away,. the line between them disappearing. They are both still on opposite sides of a war, but those feelings have faded with the moment. The feel of him had taken her to places she never could imagine going. 

The growing desire burned inside her more as their kiss deepened. His kisses moved to her neck, causing soft moans to escape her lips. “Ben…” It was in her tone. Nothing dark. It was Rey, the girl from Jakku. Not the Empress that she had become. 

Rey didn’t want to stop as things slowly progressed. The soft touch of hands and lips as they worked on removing their clothes as they explored each other. She loved the sound of him moaning her name. 

Rey’s guard was down. Being with the man she loves meant everything to her. It made her want to believe that everything was perfect and would last. That was until she felt something creeping in. It was something darker, something sinister. Rey knew all too well what this was. Rather,  _ who this was _ . It was her Grandfather. “No!” She said in a low voice. “Not now..” 

Ben could feel the struggle that Rey was having. The moment she said no gave away everything. He could feel the Emperor through the bond, that familiar feeling of oily filth that was uniquely his Force signature. The influence he had over them both - Ben could never forget that. 

_ “You belong to me, Rey Palpatine.”  _ The dark voice spoke, making sure that even Ben could hear.  _ “Don’t betray me!” _

Rey had heard her grandfather’s words. The darkness was back. The inner conflict between light and dark within. Only the dark was covering the light now. Without a word, Rey closed their connection, leaving Ben alone.

Rey was gone. Just like that. 

Ben felt everything through their connection until it was closed. Tears stung his eyes as it all sank in. He lowered himself to the floor right where he was, where she had just been laying underneath him. Where the warmth of her body had been - was now a cold floor. 


	3. Connections

Rey had gone through a great deal of trying to keep some form of self control. It was three weeks that had passed since their force bond had opened. Their fight, and the struggle that went to something very different. She could still feel him, a pinprick of light at the other end of their bond. 

That impression that was left behind was a constant reminder of something that could have been in that moment. She desired Ben Solo. And every night since their last heated connection - she had wanted to feel him all over again. Only she didn’t want to stop next time. 

The ache lingered.

Which she had to keep locked away from her grandfather. She continued to feed the anger, trying to pin the blame on Ben. He started it. Rey did know that she was the one who kissed him - but she needed to keep her anger focused on Ben.

Every time she felt something stir inside; Rey had done her best to stop it - to keep from acting on anything. She focused all her energy and thoughts on being mad and angry. She wanted him to be at her side. She had thought they would be together in this.

Rey tried a few times to feel l through the Force for Ben. He seemed to block her, and she recalled the things he said when their bond connection was active.  _ “He didn’t mean any of that.”  _ Deep inside she knew he meant it - every word he spoke the whole time was true. 

Rey knew that she could have anything and anyone. They would be willing. They would do anything for her. Yet, she wanted Ben Solo. She wanted Kylo Ren. Together they had the power to rule the galaxy with an iron fist. There wasn’t anything they could not do together. 

Her attempt to keep herself angry was failing. She desired him. The familiar ache could be felt inside as she thought of everything. His words that made her feel, and the kiss that started making everything hot. 

Three weeks had been spent angry, deprived, and aching - and cold showers were not helping her out. She could get someone to take care of her needs. Rey was positive of that. But that would not be the person she really wanted. There was no one else that had her heart. 

“I need to stop this!” She muttered under her breath. Rey needed to be mindful of her thoughts and feelings. She might be able to push them to the side. But for how long? The dark voice was always there, she could feel the presence of her grandfather at all times. 

Inside her head. 

She headed into the refresher, figuring that a shower would be a nice way to get her mind focused. They are, after all, very different now than they were for her on Jakku.

It felt like another life. Much like everything after, and up to the point she made a decision based on what her grandfather had said. Rey didn’t think she had a choice in what she did. She figured that she would have more control, that she wouldn’t hear him in her head. 

Once inside, with the water running at a perfect temperature, Rey quickly undressed. She caught a glimpse of her arm, and the scar she got from the battle in Snoke’s throne room. 

Rey made her way under the water, letting it flow down her body in the natural path it would. It felt good - but it wasn’t the best feeling to her. She imagined all her troubles being washed away with her eyes closed. She took in all the sensations that come from the water. 

It felt like she was almost in a meditative state of mind. Water had an energy all in itself. She allowed herself a little bit longer before she started to clean her body off. 

Rey felt refreshed upon finishing her shower. She felt almost sleepy getting out.

She lightly dried herself off and put the towel aside before she headed out of the room - into her room. There was a familiar feeling that came over her, stopping her dead in her tracks. “Not this!” 

Ben had been trying to keep his emotions under control. When days had passed after their bond connection was closed - he had to worry about how quickly he would have to leave his current hideout. He hated being on the run, but he also had a desire to have Rey with him. 

For three weeks, Ben had been trying to figure out a way to reach the woman he saw in those moments before their bond closed. He had tried to keep a shield up. He didn’t want to play games with her. He wanted to fight  _ for _ her, not against her. 

Ben felt a familiar feeling. He knew what it was, and he didn’t fight it. Their force bond opened, and he heard Rey’s voice. “Three weeks? You are going to close the connection for three weeks..” He turned to face her. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her naked. While she was as dry as she could be - he could see water dripping down her body from her still wet hair. 

“You are going to blame me for this? I just got out....” She stopped snapping at him, seeing the way he was looking at her. “Don’t look at me like that.”

She wasn’t sure if she commanded that, or if it was a plea for him to not look at her. What it sounded like was a plea, mixed with the desire and want that filled her everyday now for three weeks.

“I am keeping my eyes on your face.” Ben intoned, though his body was betraying him as his cock was getting harder. He hated that, the way his body just expressed how much he craved her. She meant everything to him. He loved her. He will always love her. 

Rey’s eyes raked over him. It didn’t take long for her to notice his body’s betrayal, feeling her own body betraying her as well. It wasn’t like he had to look for the obvious signs. Her nipples were getting harder, and Rey didn’t need to feel herself between her legs. She was wet and aching for him. 

“That is funny! I am keeping my attention on your face. But I can see you well enough to know that you're excited.”

Ben wasn’t sure what to say to that. Because he knew she was right. He could see her well enough without his eyes moving over her. “Okay, I admit it. I am excited! Just tell me that you are not..” 

Rey knew he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t even hiding it at all. The look on her face had already said everything her silence confirmed, and that was frustrating. 

“It doesn’t have to be like this, Rey.” He paused for just a moment, moving closer to her. “This is not who you are.. You never wanted to be this..” 

“Maybe not..” Rey couldn’t help saying just before he could continue - if that was indeed what he was going to do. “I guess destiny had a hand in that..”

Ben shook his head. “Destiny doesn’t have a hand in choosing where you stand in life. Light. Dark.. It is a choice you make!” As Ben spoke, he could recall what he told her on the Death Star ruins. He had been trying to make her believe that she was destined for it. He wished he never said it. There were a lot of things he wished he didn’t do. He could not fix what had already happened, but what he could do was to change things for the better - if he was allowed to. 

There was a struggle within her. Rey tried not to let the conflict surface. The thoughts of that night and how much she wanted to love him churned inside her. She wanted to give into her feelings then, just like she wanted to give into her feelings right now. 

Rey knew she fought his temptation to turn. She could have joined him that very moment. They both would be side by side, but she believed she could make him turn to the light. 

Ben felt the conflict within the love of his life. “I feel the light inside you, Rey.. Your grandfather doesn’t have control over you! You owe him nothing.. He’s lost!”

“I gave him what he wanted!”

“Palpatine made you believe that it was the only way to save those you love.” He said as he closed the gap between them. His hand reached out to touch her cheek. “He manipulates. And while he thinks he is stronger than you - you are so much stronger than he is!”

“But.. Like all the sith.. He’s inside me!” Rey cried out, tears filling her eyes.

Ben saw the tears fill her eyes, and it made his heart ache for her. Rey was truly the light, and he needed her to see that more than anything. “That was forced! Manipulation doesn’t count.. You have all the Jedi in you, too.. Trust in that!”

“I’m gone, Ben. Why can’t you see that?” Rey knew she probably should wipe the tears away, but she let them fall down her cheeks.

“No.. I don’t believe that!”

_ " _ **_No one is ever really gone_ ** _ ,"  _

Ben heard his Uncle Luke’s voice ring out. But from the look on Rey’s face; it wasn’t just him that heard Luke's voice through the Force. It wasn’t just his voice - there was a feeling that said there was more to the message. His attention was pulled away from Rey to look upon the figure appearing to them both, lined in blue as all Force ghosts were There stood his Uncle, and old Master to both of them.


End file.
